Former world title holder Amir Khan has admitted that future clashes with Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao are currently up in the air as the Briton eyes a return to action this December.

Khan, 27, has been linked to fights with Robert Guerrero and Devon Alexander in the US at the end of the year, after which an encounter with Mayweather could become a real possibility for the Olympic silver medallist.

The Bolton man missed out of facing Mayweather in poll against Marcos Maidana in May and has since been quoted stating that he would gladly fight ex-stablemate Pacquiao after leaving their mutual trainer Freddie Roach for Virgil Hunter.

Despite wanting both bouts to happen, ‘King’ Khan has no assurances that either will be willing to negotiate next year, although the ex-unified 140lb champion still holds out hope of snagging one of the world’s pound for pound stars.

“It’s a tough one. I know he (Mayweather) needs me to make the really big pay-per-view numbers and money motivates him. It drives him because he can make much more fighting me than Maidana. I’m big in the UK, Dubai, Asia and places where Floyd’s not as well known,” Khan told The Guardian.

“Floyd had a tough fight last time and the rematch might be tough too. So it’s working out just right. When we do fight I’ll be so much fresher. I know Floyd [46-0] wants to reach the 50-fight mark and maybe his last one will be against me.”

On Pacquiao, Khan added: “The Manny fight can still happen at some point. My promoters Golden Boy and Bob Arum are about to start working together again. Me and Manny sparred a lot, and I often went with him to the Philippines, so it would make a great fight.

“I’ve left it with my team and my adviser Al Haymon and I told them: ‘I like the Manny fight.’ But we’ve had no response.

“Boxing is all about timing and Manny and Floyd are getting older. Someone has to take their place. Mayweather would be a very technical fight, like a game of chess. But I think Manny would be harder. He’s much more aggressive and it would be more intense. But with my trainer Virgil Hunter I’m a much better and more defensive fighter,” he said.